Myers-Briggs Personality Type

Indicator MBTI
Kathy Prem
Engineering Career Services
University of Wisconsin-Madison
MBTI, Myers-Briggs, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and Introduction to Type are
registered trademarks of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Trust

Introduction to Type Theory

Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung developed a

theory early in the 20th century to describe
basic individual preferences and explain
similarities and differences between people

Main postulate of the theory is that people have

inborn behavioral tendencies and preferences

Your natural response in daily situations

Used when we are generally not stressed and feel
competent, and energetic
Could be defined as those behaviors you often dont
notice

Innate Preferences

Exercise:

Write your name

Development of the MBTI Instrument

Jungs theory important but inaccessible to the

general population

Isabel Myers and Katherine Briggs (mother-daughter

team) expanded on Jungs work by developing an
instrument to help people identify their preferences

The MBTI tool is an indicator of personality type (i.e.

innate preferences) that has proven to be remarkably
reliable and valid

Represents the result of over 50 years of research

Is used globally in both education and corporate settings;
over 2 million people each year

Value of the MBTI

Distinctions from other psychological or career based

tools

Does not assess psychological health

Does not tell the client what to do or be
Involves client feedback and agreement to Type
Involves no scaling or value
Inherent strengths and weaknesses associated with each
type profile

Structure of the MBTI

The MBTI instrument uses four dichotomies to

identify preferences, which are then combined into
one Type

A dichotomy divides items into 2 groups where there is no

continuum or value implied

Four MBTI Dichotomies

Extraversion Introversion

E - I Dichotomy
Sensing Intuition

S - N Dichotomy
Thinking Feeling

Where do you prefer to focus

your attention and get your
energy?
How do you prefer to take in
information?
How do you make decisions?

T - F Dichotomy
Judging Perceiving

J - P Dichotomy

How do you deal with the outer

world?

Caution: MBTI Word Usage

Words used to describe preferences in psychology do

not mean the same thing as they do in everyday life

Extravert does not mean talkative or loud

Introvert does not mean shy or inhibited

Feeling does mean emotional

Judging does not mean judgmental

Perceiving does not mean perceptive

Etc.

E I Dichotomy: Source of Energy

Most people who prefer

Extraversion

Prefer action over reflection

May act quickly w/out

thinking

Are attuned to external

environments
Prefer to communicate by
talking
Learn best through doing or
discussing
Are sociable and expressive
Enjoy working in groups

Most people who prefer

Introversion

Prefer reflection over action

May not take action at all

Are attuned to inner world

Prefer to communicate in
writing
Learn best through
thorough mental practice
and reflection
Are private and contained
Enjoy working alone or in
pairs

Which is worse: no interruptions or frequent interruptions?

What is your E I preference?

Exercise

When you are going to a large

party, what do you do?
What do you consider a large
party or group?

S N Dichotomy: Take in Information

Most people who prefer

Sensing

Emphasize the pragmatic

Prefer facts & details/
specific information
Are oriented to present
realities
Value realism
Observe and remember
specifics through 5 senses
Build carefully and
thoroughly to conclusions
Trust experience

Most people who prefer

Intuition

Emphasize the theoretical

Prefer general concepts/
high-level plans
Are oriented to future
possibilities
Value imagination
See trends and patterns in
specific data
Use a sixth sense
Move quickly to conclusions,
follow hunches
Trust inspiration

Which is worse no sense of the present reality or no sense of

the future possibilities?

What is your S-N preference?

Exercise

How did you decide

whom to support?

T F Dichotomy: Decision Making

Most people who prefer

Thinking

Are analytical
Use cause-and-effect
reasoning
Solve problems with logic
Strive for objective standard
of truth
Described as reasonable
Search for flaws in an
argument
Fair want everyone
treated equally

Most people who prefer

Feeling

Empathetic
Guided by personal values
Assess impact of decisions
on people
Strive for harmony and
positive interactions
Described as compassionate
Search for point of
agreement in an argument
Fair want everyone
treated as an individual

Which is worse: working in an environment that lacks logic or

an environment that lacks harmony?

What is your T-F Preference?

Exercise

Little League Coach for

the championship game
and you can only take 11
of 13 players to the
game
What do you do? How
do you choose?

J P Dichotomy: Lifestyle

Most people who prefer

Judging

Are scheduled/organized
Strive to finish one project
before starting another
Like to have things decided

Most people who prefer

Perceiving

May decide things too

quickly

Try to avoid last-minute

stresses; finish tasks well
before deadline
Try to limit surprises
See routines as effective

Are spontaneous/flexible
Start many projects but may
have trouble finishing them
Like things loose and open
to change

May decide things too

slowly

Feel energized by lastminute pressures; finish

tasks at the deadline
Enjoy surprises
See routines as limiting

Which is worse: winging it or adhering to a schedule?

What is your J-P Preference?

Exercise

Sending you on a
vacation
$5,000
What do you do? How
do you go about it?

What IS your Type?

1.

Todays discussion gives you a self-estimate

or assessment of your type

2.

Your MBTI results will report the preferences you

choose on the Indicator

3.

Final type assessment requires agreement between

self assessment and MBTI responses

Composite Type

One letter from each dichotomy

Sum equals more than the parts

It represents the dynamic interactions among the

preferences in your type

No hierarchy among the types; each identifies normal

and valuable personalities

Why should we care?

Individual Benefits: Gain insights into personality

Reduce your defensiveness when involved in a disagreement

Increase your openness to feedback (clues) from what is
going on around you
Improve your ability to see others more accurately

Enhance your ability to appreciate differences in yourself

and in others
Improve your ability to choose realistic goals

Why should we care?

Staff Benefits: Appreciate others

Make constructive use of individual approaches

Allow for creative problem-solving; Different types
approach problems in different, yet valid ways

Understand and adapt to leaderships management style

Respect peoples work preferences

Improve communication among supervisors, peers,

employees, customers

Why should we care?

Example

Approach to staff meetings that accommodate both

introverts and extraverts?

Communication Breakdown

Ideal Leader is

Extravert: action-oriented
Introvert: contemplative
Sensing: pragmatic
Intuitive: visionary
Thinking: logical
Feeling: compassionate
Judging: planful
Perceiving: adaptable

Source: From Teambuilding Program (2nd Edition), E. Hirsh, K. W. Hirsh, S. Krebs Hirsh, 2003,
CPP, Inc.

Understanding Type in
uncomfortable situations

Potential Pitfalls

Characteristics when under stress or uncomfortable

(out of Type)

Examples

Overcrowded schedule may force you to exhibit more

judging traits than you may prefer
Team projects may force you to work as an extravert;
brainstorming, talking through problems vs. thinking
them through on your own
Concrete information may be more valued more than
gut-feeling approach
Staff meeting may focus on everyones involvement first,
when you would prefer to address the task first.

To Take to the Office with You

With similar types on a team:

The team will understand each other easily and quickly

Will reach decisions quickly, but will be more likely to make
errors due to not taking in all viewpoints
May fail to appreciate gifts of the outlying types

With a variety of types on a team:

Longer to establish communication between the members of

the team
Less likely to overlook possibilities and details
Longer to reach consensus

Source: From Teambuilding Program (2nd Edition), E. Hirsh, K. W. Hirsh, S. Krebs Hirsh, 2003,
CPP, Inc.

Occupational Trends by Type

ISTJ

ISFJ

INFJ

INTJ

Management
Administration
Law enforcement
Accounting

Education
Health care
Religious settings

Religion
Counseling
Teaching
Arts

Scientific or technical
fields
Computers
Law

ISTP

ISFP

INFP

INTP

Skilled trades
Technical fields
Agriculture
Law Enforcement
Military

Health care
Business
Law enforcement

Counseling
Writing
Arts

Scientific or technical
fields

ESTP

ESFP

ENFP

ENTP

Marketing
Skilled trades
Business
Law enforcement
Applied technology

ESTJ

Management
Administration
Law enforcement

Health care
Teaching
Coaching
Childcare worker
Skilled trades

ESFJ

Education
Health care
Religion

Counseling
Teaching
Religion
Arts

ENFJ

Religion
Arts
Teaching

Source: From Introduction to Type and Careers, A.L. Hammer, 1993,

Consulting Psychologists Press

Science
Management
Technology
Arts

ENTJ

Management
Leadership

Determining Your Type

MBTI Response Sheet

NOT necessarily your true type

If several unanswered questions, be aware the results may
not be as accurate
Preference Clarity

Not how well-developed you are!

How consistently you reported a preference
How accurate the results are

You must verify results by reading and accepting the

profile

Influences on Self-Reporting

Stress or boredom

Currently at a cross-roads
Literally unable to identify own preferences

Institutional, supervisory, family, shoulds

Not a shoes-off environment

Personal, work, other

Conference meeting setting Difficult to set aside business

frame of mind

Personal misunderstanding of or values laden

concept behind word pairs used

Influences on Self-Reporting

Societal values

May cause over-reporting of particular Types

Vary among cultures

In U.S., overall cultural values favor ESTJ

Type

Extraversion
Sensing
Thinking
Judging

Thereby, US societal values

may cause over-reporting of
the Type.

Also true for workplace values

Want to complete the MBTI?

Optional
Results are confidential unless you decide to share
15-20 Minutes

Responding to MBTI Questions

Relaxed setting

Dont think too much about any one question; your

initial reaction is most useful

If you do not understand a word, you may skip the

question

Both choices may be attractive to you; pick the BEST

fit